I'm better than that
by Little Writer Babe
Summary: Set during episode 3x01. Kara says some hurtful things to her sister, spurned on by her grief over the Daxamite Invasion. She effectively pushes Alex away but will she lose the chance to make things right?
1. Sticks and Stones

She'd said it like it was a fact.

Like being human was some sort of madness she had been lucky enough to escape.

Like being human was _weak_ ; like _Alex_ was weak.

"You'd be at the bar." She'd accused, barely contained malice in her voice. "You would be _broken_."

It hurt but Alex had admitted her sister was _right_ , admitted that she would be lost without the woman that had changed her life. But even though things were changing, her love for her sister remained the same, even when Kara was being hurtful and dismissive.

Alex didn't lash out because she'd done that _enough_ in the last few months; _hurt Kara_ enough to last a lifetime. So she took it. Even when her throat burned and her eyes began to water, she let her little sister tear her apart because really Kara was the only person capable of putting those pieces back together.

"I'm better than that." Kara had spat at her and though Alex had _never_ raised a hand to her sister, had never even wanted to, in that moment she had to resist the urge to slap some sense into Kara.

She needed to get out of there. NOW.

Before things got more out of hand, before her sister destroyed what was left of her broken heart, as Kara Danvers died before her very eyes. She had to understand what she was doing to her.

"Kara Danvers is my _favorite_ person!" Alex declared at the door, moments away from losing all composure. "You just think about that while you're trying to get rid of her!"

She'd stormed out, half expecting Kara to follow but she hadn't. Hadn't even risen from the table, barely glanced up from her laptop and suddenly the dam burst.

Alex stumbled out to her bike, tears blurring her vision as she roared the machine to life, bypassing her helmet, some part of her knowing she shouldn't ride like this, knowing she should call Maggie to come get her.

Maggie. If she could just get to her strong arms, it would be okay, it would _all_ be okay.

So focused was she on that thought, she didn't see the SUV making an illegal turn, didn't realize until it was too late that they had clipped the back tire of her Ducati! As the bike spun out of control, her only thoughts were of Kara and Maggie as she slammed into the pavement.

* * *

"She's lucky to be alive."

Maggie nodded numbly at the words that were meant to comfort but only managed to tie another knot in her twisted stomach instead.

 _Twisted_ ; Like her fiancée's bike, into something terrible and unrecognizable.

It had been a call Maggie was always prepared for; a foreign voice informing her that Alex had been seriously injured. She'd thought it would have been on an opp, pursuing some dangerous alien criminal who refused to go down without a fight.

Instead, Alex had been just two blocks from her sister's apartment when a soccer mom in an SUV made an illegal U-turn. The woman hadn't even seen Alex until it was far too late. A nearby traffic cam had caught the whole incident on tape but Maggie couldn't bear to watch it until she laid eyes on Alex; until she was _certain_ Alex was as lucky as the staff was inferring.

"Ms. Sawyer?" Maggie bolted rom her seat and followed the nurse down the busy hall. "Right through here ma'am."

Maggie stepped quietly into the room, heart breaking at the sight before her. Alex was propped up in bed, nearly every inch of her covered in a bandage or a bruise. There was a particularly troubling bandage above her right eye and Maggie couldn't understand for the life of her why Alex hadn't been wearing her helmet.

"Oh, baby!" She hastened towards the bed, nearly stumbling out of worry. She gently took Alex's left hand between her own, relief flooding her as she noted the other woman still had her engagement ring.

"M-mags?" Alex began to stir when her fiancée took her hand.

"Yeah. Yeah, baby, it's me." Maggie did her best not to cry when Alex cracked her eyes open and gave her a lazy smile.

"Hey you."

Before Maggie could respond, the door swung open and an elderly gentlemen with his nose in a clipboard wandered in.

"Ms. Danvers?" He asked, glancing at Alex but it was Maggie who spoke up.

"Yes, that's her. How is she doing?"

The old man eyed Maggie skeptically. "And you are...?"

"Detective Maggie Sawyer." She answered with a hint of frustration. Alex squeezed her hand gently as she added, "Alex is my fiancée."

She had expected some sort of reaction but the old man simply returned his attention to Alex.

"How are you feeling Ms. Danvers?" He asked, eyes flitting back to her chart.

"Like I crashed my bike and got slammed against a wall." Alex answered in a hoarse whisper.

"So you remember the accident then?"

Alex nodded then winced sharply, heightening her mate's distress. The doctor on the hand seemed nonplussed.

"Best to lie still. Remarkably, nothing was broken but you had some serious lacerations, a heavy amount of deep-tissue bruising and a medium-grade concussion."

"When can I take her home?" Maggie asked, knowing Alex was loathe to stay any longer than necessary.

"We'll keep her overnight for observation and if all is well, she'll be released by tomorrow afternoon at the latest."

Maggie thanked the doctor as he left then turned her attention back to Alex who had begun to drift to sleep.

"What am I gonna do with you?" She teased as she gently kissed her fiancées ring. Alex gave her another sleepy smile before she tensed suddenly!

"Kara!" she coughed out, voice tight with pain.

"Oh crap! I forgot to call her."

Maggie grabbed Alex's phone off the bedside table, one hand trying to comfort Alex while the other quickly dialed the younger sibling. She squeezed Alex's hand reassuringly as she waited for Kara to pick up.

"Alex now is _not_ a good time." Kara barked into the phone as she answered.

"Kara, what the hell?!" Maggie was taken aback by the girl's tone.

"Maggie?"

"Yeah!"

"What's wrong? Why are you calling from Alex's phone?" Maggie could hear the distress in Kara's voice.

"There's been an _accident_. Ally crashed her bike and-"

"Where are you?"

"National City General but..."

There was a strong gust of wind and Kara stood before them, sans glasses and dressed too casually to have been at work. Alex hadn't had a chance to tell Maggie Kara had quit and now really wasn't the time.

"Alex." She gasped, taking in her sister's battered form.

"It's okay, Kara." Alex managed to squeeze out even though it seemed to cause her pain. Kara ignored her, turning to Maggie instead.

"What happened?"

"An SUV made an illegal U-turn and clipped her back wheel a couple blocks from your building." The sister's shared a knowing look. "What?"

"Kara," Alex spoke again, trying in vain to sit up. "It's not your fault..."

Maggie was at a loss as to why a freak traffic accident could be anyone's fault, let alone Kara's. "What's going on?" she asked as she felt the tension in the room grow.

"Alex and I had a fight." Kara stated without preamble, her eyes looking less cold and more regretful by the minute. "I said... some _things_ , and she left in a _hurry_."

The words fell like a stone in the small room. Maggie turned to her fiancée, eyes full of concern. Had Alex crashed her bike because she was distracted and upset? Kara seemed to think so. Before anyone could respond, Kara was moving towards the door.

"I should go."

"No! No, Kara, dammit don't go!" Alex pleaded even as the monitors attached to her began to wail, no doubt set off by the sudden rise of blood pressure.

"Baby, it's okay." Maggie cooed as she pressed Alex gently back into the bed. "You need to calm down. Kara's not going anywhere."

"Maggie, I can't stay." Kara replied, her cold demeanor settling back into place.

"What? Kara, _wait_. We _need_ you!" Maggie argued, trying to contain the situation as the monitors continued to blare and Alex struggled against her.

"I'm sorry. But you don't need my help." And then she was gone.

Maggie wanted to chase after the girl, talk some sense into her but she couldn't because Alex was hysterically screaming her sister's name, the wailing increasing in intensity with each passing moment.

The detective snapped into action, framing Alex's face lovingly, doing all she could to soothe her distraught mate but it wasn't enough.

"Baby, _please_!" She pleaded as a nurse and doctor rushed in, syringe in hand. "Alex you have to calm down before you hurt yourself!"

Alex didn't respond, frantic eyes till locked on the door, limbs flailing wildly!

"I'm sorry, Ms. Danvers but this is for your own good!" The doctor announced as he plunged the syringe into Alex's I.V.

The effective was immediate as the agent's cries died down and she stopped struggling, limbs still jerking weakly. Maggie wrapped her arms around Alex tightly, whispering soothing words as she wiped the tears still rolling down her cheeks. The detective was at a loss.

What the hell had happened between the siblings to cause this?

She'd known that Kara had been distant for the last few months but _never_ had she lashed out at Alex. And then to leave her sister hurting in a hospital room? Something was _very_ wrong with Kara. A warm wetness on her hand pulled the detective from her musings and she realized with a start that Alex was bleeding!

"Hey!" She shouted in alarm, grabbing the doctor's attention. "I think she may have popped some stitches."

The doctor rushed over and quickly confirmed her diagnosis. "We'll take care of it. I need you to step out."

Maggie was about to protest but thought better of it. She stepped into the hall, Alex's phone still clutched in her hands. She stared through the glass observation window until the nurse pulled the privacy curtain.

"Dammit," she muttered in frustration as she dialed the first person besides Kara she _knew_ she could trust with Alex's safety. "J'onn ...we need you."


	2. Not like this

Kara had been relieved when the sirens started blaring on the other side of the city because it partially drowned out the anguished cries of her sister.

It had been for the best. Alex was calling for someone she didn't want to be; someone she sorely wished had never existed.

She sighed deeply as she sat on the ledge of CatCo's roof, the whole city spread out before her, so many sights and sounds.

But there was only _one_ sound she was listening for.

Alex had gone quiet but her heartbeat was steady, solid, comforting. So focused was she on her sister that the distracted super didn't hear the door to the roof open until it was slammed closed!

"Kara, what the hell!?" She turned to find the tiny detective standing on the roof behind her, arms crossed and fuming.

"How did you find me?" She asked, wearily climbing down from the ledge.

"I had Winn track your phone."

"What do you want, Maggie?"

"I wanna know what the hell is wrong with you?! I wanna know how you could _leave_ _her_ like that? How you could hurt her so badly that she crashed her damn bike?"

Maggie had her attention now. Kara turned towards her slowly and deadly but Maggie wasn't done.

"Do you even still love her?!"

" _Of course_ I love her!"

"Then act like it!"

Maggie strode across the roof until she was mere inches from Kara's face. Despite having to look up at the imposing super, Maggie held a fierce gaze. It seemed that Kara had had enough.

" _Back off_ , Maggie."

"Or _what_? You'll throw me into the sun? Laser my face off?" Maggie challenged, arms outstretched. "Do whatever you want to _me_ but don't you dare _hurt Alex_. Not like this, Kara. Don't hurt her like _this_."

"It's all I know _how_ to do!" Kara shot back. "I've been hurting Alex since Kal dumped me on her front porch."

Maggie was taken aback by the confession. " _Kara_..."

"Did she tell you what we fought about? I said some _awful, unforgivable_ things to her. And you know what? She didn't even fight back. Why didn't she fight back?" Kara finished with a whisper, head hung low.

"Because she knows you're hurting and she knows you didn't mean it." Maggie supplied, still unsure of what could have driven the siblings to this point.

"She crashed her bike...she could have _died_...because of _me_."

"Kara, _listen to me._ " Maggie demanded, voice low. "What happened today was _not_ your fault. The other driver is the _only_ person at fault here."

Maggie hadn't realized she was crying until she saw the same tears mirrored in Kara's eyes. She opened her arms again but this time it was to embrace the distraught super.

"I shouldn't have said what I said...I'm sorry," Kara choked out as she fell to her knees taking Maggie with her. "I'm so _angry; all_ the time."

"It's okay, Little Danvers. It's okay to be _angry_ and its okay to be _sad_. But _please_ don't push Alex away. It's not good for either one of you."

Kara nodded tearfully against her shoulder but didn't speak. The pair remained like that until Maggie's knees began to ache. Kara reluctantly pulled away and helped Maggie stand, wincing slightly as the older woman's knees popped.

"Thanks, Maggie." Kara told her with a sincere smile, the first she'd given anyone in quite some time. "I'm really glad you're part of our family now."

"Anytime, kid. I'm just glad I could knock some sense into that hard Kryptoninan head!"

"Maggie!" Kara exclaimed sounding more like a bratty little sister with each passing moment.

"I'm just messing with you." Maggie replied with a smile before turning serious. "But _thank you_ for letting me share your family, _especially_ Alex."

"Getting soft on me, Sawyer?"

"Just shut up and go see your sister, will ya?"

* * *

Alex was pulled back to consciousness by a soft voice and a warm thumb running rhythmically over her knuckles, the other clutching her hand tightly.

She knew those hands; Too warm to be Maggie's, too soft to be J'onn's.

But it couldn't be.

Because they'd had a terrible fight and her sister hadn't even wanted to sit with her earlier. Still...

A small part of her hoped it to be true, so she opened her eyes.

 _Slowly_.

Tentatively.

"Kara?" She gasped, equal parts surprised and worried.

"Alex!"

Immediately, she was engulfed in the tightest yet gentlest embrace she could imagine, wrapped in her sister's strong arms.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry...I was just angry and... _sorry_!" Kara hiccupped, sounding much like she had after the 'Red K' incident.

"S'okay." Alex mumbled, stroking Kara's hair and enjoying the tender embrace she had been missing for months.

Kara shook her head sullenly, spreading snot and tears across her sister's tank. Alex didn't flinch; she'd endure gallons of Kryptonian snot if it kept Kara close!

The younger sibling geared up for another round of apologies but Alex silenced her with a grunt, pulling her contrite sibling closer. She didn't want any more apologies; Kara being there in her arms was apology enough.

Alex smiled softly as she placed a gentle kiss to her sister's hair.

Kara Danvers wasn't gone after all; she had just been a little _lost_. A murmur from beneath her caught the elder siblings attention.

"What?" She asked sleepily.

"I'm _not_."

"Not what?" Alex was tired and Kara was speaking in riddles.

"Better than _that_ ; better than _you_."

"Course you are." Alex replied with a chuckle that did nothing for her aching body. "That's why you wear the 's' on your chest."

"It's the family crest, Alex. You _know_ that." Kara pouted adorably.

"Yes, I do but I'm tired and sore and I just want to cuddle with my sister." Alex explained, eyes already closed.

"But-"

"Shush. Tired. _Cuddles_ ," Alex demanded and Kara couldn't help but acquiesce, head nestled comfortably on her sister's chest.

"I love you." She whispered, giving a light chuckle when Alex merely grunted in return!

 _Maybe_ , just maybe, everything was going to be okay.

* * *

Neither sibling awoke when Maggie stepped in a little over an hour later. She settled into a chair in the corner, content to watch her favorite girls sleep as the DEO bustled with activity in the background.

She was endlessly grateful that J'onn had managed to have Alex transferred to the DEO med-bay, knew she would have been upset to wake up in the hospital again clad in a paper gown.

With a content sigh, she kicked her feet up and leant back in the chair, exhausted from all the stress the Danvers subjected her to on an almost daily basis. Still, she wouldn't trade it; wouldn't trade _them_.

Mon-El might be gone and Kara might be grieving but Maggie knew there was nothing this family couldn't handle. _Together_.

"Sweet dreams, you two." She whispered. "El mayarah."


End file.
